Shedd Aquarium

Shedd Aquarium is my favorite place to take the kids in Chicago. With 32,000 animals including beluga whales and dolphins to penguins and, of course, sharks, Shedd is one of the best aquariums in the country.

You can see the top highlights at Shedd in just a few hours with some planning, although I'd encourage you to spend a full day and take your time to really get to enjoy the aquarium if you have the opportunity. In my book, there's nothing you're going to do in the afternoon that will beat a few more hours at the aquarium.

Note that admission prices now include access to everything at Shedd except for a few obvious extras like the 4-D theater and feeding stingrays.

Top Tips

• Amazon Rising is close to the entrance and gets crowded at times when a lot of people are arriving. It's a great exhibit, but save it for later when most people have moved on. It works better to head first to the Wild Reef or to underwater viewing and penguins.
• In addition to my favorite, the Wild Reef, top exhibits are Amazon Rising, underwater viewing and penguins, and the aquatic presentation (the show that will usually—but not always—have dolphins). In the summer, Stingray Touch is also very fun.
• Be at lunch no later than 11:30. The cafeteria will get crowded, even on less busy days.
• Stingray Touch (which is seasonal, roughly Memorial Day to Labor Day) closes for heavy rain. It's a great experience so plan around the weather if the forecast looks concerning. Feeding the stingrays is only available before 11, but the touch portion is available all day.
• Shedd is undergoing big changes. There haven't been exhibit closures yet, but know that there may be in the future, or just construction work and noise going on around you.